Traditional gender roles have changed drastically over the generations. These days, it is hardly uncommon for the woman in the household to have the dominant gender role within the family. This was once unheard of in traditional family scenarios, with the male always being the head of the house. In modern days, this role is often shared equally between each partner, or possibly tilted towards the female, being that she is often the one to organise the family these days.

My parents still maintain much of the traditional gender roles of the past. My mother has always been a stay at home mother, and my father was the one to earn the income. He works hard, with long hours, even to this day. However, as a young child, my mother learnt to be very independent due to my father being away for work often. She was the one who had to manage the household, pay the bills and have the chores done. Despite being a stay at home mother, even now, long after her children have all grown up and left the house, she still maintains the finances in the household, paying bills and organising everything that needs to be done. They are still traditional however, in the fact that my mother still cooks all the meals and does all the cleaning and my father does the outdoor maintenance.

A generation on, much has changed. Personally, I am the higher wage earner in my relationship. My partner works hard also, however as a professional, with a university degree, my income will always be higher. However, when time comes to have children, as much as I would like to be a stay at home mother, I know this is not feasible in this day and age, not with a mortgage and other expenses, therefore after a year of maternity leave, I will return to work. My brother’s family situation is similar, with both himself and his wife working and having an equal role in raising the children and doing house duties. My sister, however, is more like the traditional role of the past. Extremely independent, but still the one who raises the children and cleans and cooks. She has an equal responsibility with finances, however her employment only consists of assisting with the family business.

Even using my own family as an example, it is easy to see how much the traditional gender roles have changed over one generation. While some similarities exist, women are taking a far more dominant role in the house hold. They often have control over the finances, as it makes more sense when they are often the ones organising the children and the household utilities. They often also work in positions equal to those fulfilled by their male partners. Woman can even earn more than men in many roles, and it is not unusual for them to be the higher income earner now. The other major difference is men are taking on a more active role around the house, assisting with cooking and cleaning and child care duties. It is even possible for men to take maternity leave in the place of their wife these days, allowing the woman to be the main income earner, even after the birth of a child.

It is certainly time to modify the existing gender roles into a more flexible and diverse version that exists in today’s society. Men and women are gaining equality in all areas and this is no longer seen as unusual.